Monday, October 02, 2006

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Guitar Players

Here's a great article. We sometimes overlook the simple things.

By: Tony Williams

1.Change the strings regularly - there is perhaps no moreimportant aspect of playing a musical instrument than that ofmaintaining it properly. Guitar strings wear out with regularuse and even more quickly become coated in grease and dead skin.So it is imperative that you wipe the strings after playing andalso change the strings as often as needed.

But how often do strings need changing? Well, if you only playyour guitar a couple of times a month then you will probably getaway with a couple of sets of strings per year. But if you playin a band a couple of times a week or more then you should renewthe strings at least once a week. And forget the old wives taleabout boiling strings, that is for fools and practical jokers;fit new strings every time.

2.Play what is required, not what you like - Just becauseyou have mastered that tricky right hand tapping technique doesnot mean that you should try to use it at every opportunity.Instead, concentrate on what feels and sounds right for thepiece you are working on. It might not be as self satisfying toplay five notes where you could have squeezed in fifty, but itcan often be far more effective - and remember that you willalways get the chance to impress your mates on another song.

3.Practice effectively - Do you have a regular practiceschedule? If not, then you should develop one! Your guitarpractice should include different techniques, slow playing, fastplaying, rhythmic playing, etc. Don't just play what you enjoyplaying during solo practice sessions, but instead remember todevote some time to the stuff you find difficult.

4.Play with the band, not over them - Never turn your ampup to eleven and expect the rest of the band to join you. Notonly is it a recipe for tinnitus and premature deafness, but itwill quickly get you replaced by a more considerate guitarist.An effective guitar player will be listening to the whole band,not just him/herself, and if the guitar sounds too loud theeffective guitar player will turn the volume down to a levelthat matches the rest of the band! if you think you might beguilty of this then try listening objectively to the whole bandnext time you play and ask yourself if it sounds well balanced.

5.Be original - Don't just copy your guitar heroes. Ofcourse it is natural and essential to actively learn the chopsof your favourite players, but don't just copy them verbatim;instead you should try to mix and match the techniques you havelearned to develop your own original licks.

6.Keep an open mind and ear - Just because your favouriteplayer uses a Marshall stack or a Mesa Boogie combo, and plays aFender Stratocaster or a Gibson Les Paul doesn't mean that youhave to do the same. All of the best player's sounds are uniqueand exclusive, and it goes far beyond the equipment used. Thinkof the different sounds produced by for example Jimi Hendrix,Hank Marvin and Eric Clapton - they are all Strat players butall sound different and apart from each other.

7.Enjoy yourself - the fact is that successful guitarplayers actually enjoy what they do; think of Eddie Van Halenleaping around the stage with a wide smile on his face. I'mwilling to bet that the reason he became such a great player inthe first place is because he actually loves what he is doing.So when the time comes, go out and enjoy it!